✓ 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋, 𝘴. 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘥

CHAPTER THREE.

chapter three — surprise!
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Lao Tzu

———

EDITED: December 4th, 2020
Tessa's POV

      "OKAY, SO HERE'S WHAT WE got," Garcia began, a small frown forming on her face. She pressed the remote in her left hand, and looked away from the board where three beautiful women popped up, followed quickly by three dead bodies. I grimaced, and glanced down in an attempt at avoiding the disgraced bodies, but after a second, I gazed back up at the pictures with hesitation.

      "We've get three vic's in New Haven, Connecticut. The first is Tara Scott, 27, she was killed three months ago to the dot. She's divorced with two children, looks like they live with their dad. The second is Linda Rider, 24, she was killed a month ago again to the dot. She looks like a loner, doesn't have kids nor married. The third is Carrie Brown, 29, died technically yesterday, but today in New Haven. Looks like she has a boyfriend, from her facebook. She's got a dog named Pepper, aw, he's cute. Anyway, that's about it. All three of them had their throats sliced, several broken ribs, and a few legs or arms. But Tara also had her face beaten in, her jaw was broken, and was barely recognizable."

      Everyone took a few seconds to process what Garcia just described and explained. I sucked in a deep breathe, trying to gather myself, but the mere looks of their bodies made spit swell up in the back of my throat nervously. Garcia was right, they all had their throats sliced, and it was quite obvious they had a few broken bones. No matter how many times I've seen pictures of dead, lifeless bodies, I don't think I'd ever adjust.

      "It gets better as you go along," Spencer whispered softly, almost startling me as I jerked my head up to get a look at him. He had a paper file wrapped in his fingers, while everyone else was studying their tablets, and I glanced at him for merely a second before turning my attention back to the case at hand.

      "Well, it looks like they like to have their dates right," Morgan outwardly spoke up, more as a statement than anything.

      "The date must be important, like it's absolutely necessary to get it right. There's so much hate in these scenes, there's a good chance they were killed by someone they knew," I explained rather quietly, turning a few heads who looked genuinely surprised by my new voice. "Garcia, are there any connections between them?"

      "Not as far as I can see, but I'll keep looking my new butt kicking girlfriend," Garcia grinned from ear to ear with her response, and she spun on her heels to stroll out of the way of the board, making her eyes even towards the ground and not even gazing in the way of the board with the misshaped and broken bodies.

      "Theresa is onto something," Spencer agrees, nodding a bit as he blinked repeatedly, his brown eyebrows narrowing in the slightest way as he studied the case file in front of him. "This person has to be strong if they're leaving people dead with several broken bones, because there's no trace of any object being used, just themselves."

      "And they're young, beautiful women. You think the unsub has a thing with blondes?" Rossi announced, but more as a question.

      "That could be the reason," JJ agreed, and her eyes hovered from the women on the screen to her hands on the table, she didn't look quite adjusted to seeing the gruesomeness, just as me. "There's a whole lot of hate going on here."

      "Okay, everyone, wheels up in thirty."

•••

      "Tessa."

      Currently, the whole team were spread out across the plane; JJ and Morgan were sitting on the couch with some files resting on their laps, while Hotch, Prentiss, and Rossi were sitting in the four chairs opposite of each other. Rossi and Hotch next to each other, with Prentiss sitting across from them. Lastly, was Spencer and I, sitting across from each other as well by the window seats.

      "What?" Spencer questioned, looking up from the book resting on his lap, utterly confused with a puppy dog expression resting on his face.

      "Tessa." I repeated, meeting his gaze and chocolate brown eyes, the faintest of smiles written on her soft, pink lips. "I don't like Theresa all that much, so call me Tessa, sounds better."

      "Oh, I apologize," he spoke quickly, and then he switched from making eye contact with me and down towards the book that was gently resting on his lap. This small talk was all the conversion we've had the entire trip, and I felt extremely awkward in trying to get him to talk more. So, I glanced back out the window, studying the beautiful and fluffy looking clouds as we passed them. A few minutes flew by of me just staring while in deep thought, but I was jerked out of my trance when Spencer spoke up again.

      "Why didn't you tell me you were a Dr.?" Spencer asked, curiosity resting deeply in his tone of voice, but he swiftly smacked his lips back together just as quickly as he had peeled them open, as if he didn't mean to talk in the first place.

      "Like I said earlier, you've gotta love surprises," I smiled lightly, more of a teasing smirk if anything, and he seemed to let out a playful smile himself.

      "I'm not a big fan of surprises."

      "How could you not be a fan of surprises?" I faked gasp, cupping a hand over my mouth for dramatics, but then the corner of my lips tugged upwards into a smile.

      And by now, Spencer had shut his book and gently placed it on the grey table that was between him and I. Secretly inside, I was a tad bit excited I'd be able to have a whole conversation with the interesting doctor, not just short and clasped sentences. So, giving me his full attention as I stared into those big, golden chocolate eyes, almost waiting for a response.

      "Surprises can have any valence; that is, it can be neutral or moderate, pleasant, unpleasant, positive, or negative," Spencer explained, and both my eyebrows raise at the surprise of myself that he knew that just off the top of his head, and I pursed my lips out by being so impressed.

      "What did you do? Swallow a book about people who don't like surprises?"

      Spencer shrugged his shoulders effortlessly, and a small chuckle flooded out of my mouth as I leaned backwards in my chair from previously resting my elbows on my knee's. Only one thought lingered in my head; Boy, this plane ride is going to be fun.